Glass rolling apparatus



Aug. 3, 1954 J. F. nnoznowsm GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1951 JEDROZDOWS/f/ zzvmv on A TTORNE V5 Patented Aug. 3, 1954 GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS Joseph. F. Drozdowski, Detroit, Mich assignor to Ford-1 Motor Company,

poration ofDelaware Dearborn, Mich, a' cor- Application December 26. 1951:, seriallNo. 263,158

2 Claims. 1

This invention is concerned with the production of laminated safety glass and more particularly with an apparatus for rolling such laminated safety glass for the purpose of deaerating and prepressing. This invention is related to and an improvement over the invention described in copending application Serial No. 240.638, filed August 7, 1951, by George Pascoe and Ormund Rugg and entitled Glass Rolling Apparatus.

In the conventional production of laminated safety glass, a lamina of a vinyl type plastic is inserted between two sheets of ordinary window or plate glass to prevent the generation of lethal edges and fragments of glass in the event of an accident to the motor vehicle in which such glass has been incorporated. This raw sandwich is conventionally warmed slightly and then subjected to pressure by rolling or otherwise to eliminate air from the structure. This deaerated sandwich is then heated to 150-170 F. to render the vinyl plastic tacky and again subjected to pressure, usually by rolling to cause the glass layers to adhere to the plastic. This glass is said to be prepressed and is now ready for immersion in the heated oil of the autoclave to complete the operation and render the sandwich transparent.

The above outlined steps are comparatively simple when the glass is perfectly fiat. However in recent years the demand has arisen for curved, laminated glass, particularly for windshield construction. The processes and equipment usable for deaerating and prepressing flat glass are utterly useless insofar as curved glass is concerned. The instant invention has been developed to provide a method and apparatus for quickly and economically deaerating and prepressing large numbers of curved laminated sandwiches. The apparatus described below is capable of being readily incorporated into existing glass production facilities and will rapidly roll curved sandwiches with a minimum of labor and breakage.

The invention to be described herein is particularly concerned with the construction of the rubber rolls in which curved laminated glass sandwiches are deaerated and prepressed. This invention is probably best understood from a study of the drawing which is an elevation, partially in section of a pair of rolls particularly I adapted for rolling curved laminated glass.

The preferred rolls for deaerating and prepressing curved glass sandwiches comprise an upper floating roll l0 and a lower driven roll ll J'ournalled for rotation in side members !2. Side members l2 are in turn journalled for rotation in trunnions l3. Trunnions l3 are located intermediate the axes of upper floating roll H] and lower driven roll I I. Lower roll i l is driven through sprocket which is mounted on stub shaft 2|. This sprocket 20 and stub shaft M are arranged to be chain driven from any convenient source of motion (not shown). Shaft 22 which is coaxial with lower driven roll I I is driven by a chain 23. Upper floating roll Ill is driven only frictionally by contact with lower driven roll i i. If desired the journals supporting upper floating roll It may be slideably mounted in side members 12 so that gravity alone is effective to maintain this roll in contact with the lower roll.

It has been found in practice that these rolls are often destructive to the very fragile glass sandwiches. It has further been found in practice that the breakage of glass in the rolling operations can be substantially reduced if the rolls are constructed as described herein. These rolls are each about thirty-three inches in length and have a diameter of twelve inches. These rolls each comprise a central supporting steel shaft which extends the entire length of the rolls and provides the main structural support. Surrounding shaft 24 is a layer 25 of soft, porous sponge rubber about three inches thick. Superimposed upon layer 25 of sponge rubber is a layer 26 of much harder rubber about one inch thick having a durometer reading ranging from 25 to and preferably about 30. Still another and working layer 21 of a still harder rubber, about one inch thick surrounds the intermediate layer 25. This outside working layer has a durometer reading of 35 to and preferably 40. To prevent difficulties arising from the compression of the rubber at the ends of the rolls, a radius is provided on each roll. It will be noted that the relief radius provided on driven roll H is much smaller than that provided on floating roll l0. It has further been found that a more satisfactory glass rolling operation is accomplished if the upper floating roll I0 is crowned to an extent of about three-sixteenths of an inch. Among other functions, this crown helps roll effectively the central portion of the glass which usually has a slight sag inherent in the bending process.

It has been found to improve the action of the rolls if one or both and preferably the upper floating roll Ill be provided with grooves about one-quarter inch wide, three-eighths of an inch deep and uniformly spaced about one-and-onehalf inches apart along the length of the roll.

It is to be understood that the term rubber as used herein is to include elastomers generally, regardless of origin.

I claim as my invention:

1. A glass rolling apparatus comprising a driven lower roll and a floating upper roll, each of said rolls comprising a central metal shaft surrounded by a thick layer of soft,'porous sponge rubber, which in turn is surrounded by a much thinner layer of rubber having a durometerof 25 to 35 and an outer working layer of rubber having a durometer of 35 to 45.

2. A glass rolling apparatus comprising a driven lower roll and a floating upper roll, each of said rolls comprising a central metal shaft surrounded by a thick layer of soft, porous sponge rubber, which in turn is surrounded by a much thinner layer of rubber having a. durometer of 25 to 35 and an outer working layer of rubber having a durometer of 35 to 45, the upper floating roll being slightly crowned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 1,181,959 Roberts May 2, 1916 .-1,'746,821 Davis Feb. 11, 1930 1,903,038 Fujie Mar. 28, 1933 1,981,745 Eckhart June 5, 1934 2,030,878 Kamerer Feb. 18, 1936 2,263,285 Bolog Nov. 18, 1941 2,389,210 Pitman Nov. 20, 1945 Fekete July 4, 1950 

1. A GLASS ROLLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A DRIVEN LOWER ROLL AND A FLOATING UPPER ROLL, EACH OF SAID ROLLS COMPRISING A CENTRAL METAL SHAFT SURROUNDED BY A THICK LAYER OF SOFT, POROUS SPONGE RUBBER, WHICH IN TURN IS SURROUNDED BY A MUCH THINNER LAYER OF RUBBER HAVING A DUROMETER OF 